Thursday, March 15, 2012

A new regulation from the Justice Department will require “public-access swimming pools across the country to install handicapped-accessible ramps and lifts or face a fine of up to $100,000,” the Hill reports. This regulation could cost “hotels and other organizations . . . to spend up to $9,000 to stay in compliance with the rule.”

The elevators must be permanent structures, not portable ones, though many hotels across the country only realized this “clarification” to the Justice Department’s regulation recently. Hotel operators, especially, are now scrambling to be in compliance.

The regulation itself falls under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Some believe the big winner in this new rule is trial lawyers. As the Washington Examiner reports, “the ADA … empowered citizens to sue businesses that are not in compliance with DOJ guidelines.” So any hotel—or public pool operator—not in compliance with the Justice Department’s mandate will possibly face legal action.

This is just another giveaway to an Obama special interest group, this time trial lawyers. There will be lawsuit after lawsuit from drive-by plaintiffs who will seek settlements in the thousands of dollars from every public pool operator who hasn't complied. We saw the same thing when ADA first went into effect.

UPDATE - this is good:

@TPCarney I can't believe we let gyms put in treadmills w/o cybernetic legs for the handicapped